CROATIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS ICTY CHIEF PROSECUTOR

ZAGREB, Nov 4 (Hina) - Croatia's Deputy Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader on Thursday met the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla del Ponte, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Croatian official expressed satisfaction with statements given by ICTY medical experts, who confirmed in a report the findings of Croatian doctors on the condition of Mladen Naletilic Tuta, stressing their professionalism. Sanader assessed the statements contributes to strengthening the atmosphere of mutual trust needed for further cooperation. Speaking about the liberation operations "Flash" and "Storm", Sanader said those were actions whose legitimacy must not be questioned, and emphasised the need for the matter to be shifted from the political to the legal level. He reminded the Croatian side believed the matter should first be dealt with by the Hague committee for procedural questions. Sanader also stressed the readiness of the Croatian government to continue its cooperation with the ICTY, expressing, however, dissatisfaction with ICTY's failure to issue indictments against numerous crimes committed during the aggression on Croatia in 1991, as well as against documented crimes committed against Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He also warned about the need to speed up the proceedings which are being conducted before the ICTY. The ICTY Chief Prosecutor expressed understanding for Croatia's stands, especially with regard to numerous tragedies and mass murders committed during the aggression on Croatia. She stressed that all war crimes must be processed and all those who committed them brought to justice, said the Ministry's statement. (hina) rml